The Old Ghan

[BMKal]

Just watched a good show on the old Ghan on GWN - it was filmed only a few months before the line was shut down and replaced with the new Ghan, but included a lot of footage from earlier days, including steam.

On timekeeping, they stated that "on one occasion, the Ghan pulled into Alice Springs on time at 07:30am - trouble was that it was three months late.

Brings back memories. I first travelled up to the NT on the old Ghan with my parents (with an Austin Freeway Station Wagon on the flat top) in 1967. We were moving up to a small mining camp called Moline - about 30 miles east of Pine Creek, where my father was to take up a job at the mine. It took us nearly 3 weeks to get from Adelaide to Alice Springs, and as the train arrived through Heavitree Gap at about 3am it came to a very sudden stop. The loco had run over a drunken "local" who had gone to sleep between the rails.

Travelling these days just hasn't got the same character.

[drivesafe]

I went on the old Ghan in 1972, one of the best train trips I have ever done.

I haven’t been on the new but must try it one day. Can’t see it being anywhere near as interesting.

[JDNSW]

Interesting book I have "Alice on the Line" by Doris Blackwell with help from Douglas Lockwood. The author as a small girl lived in Alice where her father was OIC of the telegraph station around 1900. At that stage the Ghan only went to Oodnadatta, travelling by camel from there. On the way to Oodnadatta, the train stopped where a man on a horse was waiting for it. After an hour of swapping gossip between the station hand and the engine crew, a passenger stuck his head out of a window and urged the driver to get on with it. The driver replied "Obviously you have never been to Oodnadatta, or you wouldn't be in such a hurry to get there. And in any case, we don't have to start back until Wednesday".

The book is worth reading if you can find it.
John

[drivesafe]

By 72 things had not changed much.

We stopped in the middle of nowhere to pick up a jackaroo and his saddle, then the next day, we again stopped in the middle of nowhere to let off an aboriginal family who just walked off into the never never.

I don’t know why we bothered to stop as the train rarely got over walking speed.

[vnx205]

Interesting book I have "Alice on the Line" by Doris Blackwell with help from Douglas Lockwood. ..............
...
The book is worth reading if you can find it.
John
It certainly paints an interesting picture of a world that no longer exists.
It was a time of great change and she was lucky to be a part of it all.
It is easy to read and includes a great variety information about all sorts of incidents, some tragic, some amusing and all fascinating.
Highly recommended.

[jmkoffice]

I rode the Ghan in 1978, although I was young, still remains a good memory. In 2002, I drove parts of the old line. Hard yakka, you soon understand why the route had to be changed....

[numpty]

We drove a lot of the old line back in the mid 80's. Damn shame that a lot of the line has since been ripped up, and even some of the southern part of the Oodnadatta Track has been re-routed and now is either on top of where the line used to run, or nowhere near it at all. There used to be some great camping spots to be had just over the embankment. I'm talking about the section between Maree and William Ck.

[JamesH]

I drove the Old Ghan track from Alice Springs to William Creek just last year. It's a great trip and some wonderful camping by old iron bridges etc, sidings etc.

Thoroughly recommended, not super interesting or challenging as far as 4WD goes but if you like to use your vehicle to see a bit of history out the back of beyond then it's perfect.

I indulged my other wierd passion and "spotted" slow combustion stoves. We also took notes at the various foundaries used to make the rails and the bridges and the years stamped on the rails.

Nerd? Moi?

[mcrover]

I didnt enjoy our trip on the new Ghan :(